It's always darkest before the dawn
by x.soul.x
Summary: Mike visits Ryan in the hospital and breaks down. [TAG for ep. 15] #slash#


**Title:** It's always darkest before the dawn  
**Fandom: **The Following  
**Pairing: **Ryan Hardy/Mike Weston  
**Rating:** PG  
**Genre:** _established relationship, fluff, episode tag (s01e15)_  
**Summary:** Mike visits Ryan in the hospital and breaks down.  
**Disclaimer:** They don't belong to me and this didn't happened. Made only for fun.

Originally posted **hardstonlove**

Ryan woke up with a dry mouth in a strange bed. He tried to sit up but felt a sharp pain in the stomach and immediately gave up and fell into bed. Then it all came back.

Claire in his apartment, Ryan trying to work up the courage to tell her that they had no future but always swallowing the words when she kissed him and looked at him with love in her eyes, him buying time buying dinner while she bathed, the food being delivered and then ... Agonizing pain in his abdomen and Claire being stabbed in the back.

Ryan closed his eyes; would the deads never end? Even with Joe gone it seemed not.

**~8~**

Mike got the call when he was just getting out of the shower and eager to fall into bed and sleep for two days. He had to sit up on his bed to not fall down because his legs felt like jelly when the nurse said that Ryan was in surgery, it was serious but he was stable. He put any clothes he found on his way and rushed to the hospital, bypassing at least three red lights on the way.

When he was finally facing the door to Ryan's room, Mike took a deep breath; he didn't want to see him weak and between life and death, not after—Mike entered. And to his delight and surprise, Ryan was awake. "Fuck."

"Hey." Ryan greeted. He was pale and weak. Mike wanted to get closer but something held him in place. Mike asked instead, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, considering. Hurts to breathe but I'll live."

_Live_. Parker and Claire can't have that anymore. Life. And Ryan almost lost his life too after leaving him behind in the woods with Debra's cooling body at his side. Mike never felt so useless as at that moment. With the body of a friend that they failed to save and with the chance of Ryan dying alone throwing himself to the wolves like that. And Mike was left there, standing helplessly.

"Mike?"

Mike blinked several times, only now feeling the sting in his eyes. Ryan was looking at him from the bed with confused eyes and Mike felt angry at him. Angry for being dismissed, for being threatened by a gun and for Ryan being so reckless with his own life.

"You son of a bitch! You left me! How could you?"Mike growled. Ryan frowned on the bed. "After all we went through! Y-You just kicked me to the side because a goddamn piece of paper said I should die. But I was right there in front of you. I could have gone with you! I could have helped!"

"I said I could not risk it."

"Fuck that! And risk yourself you could? What about me? What if you had died? I couldn't stand it if you have died too Ryan! Don't you see that?"

Mike turned away from Ryan when he felt a tear dribble down his cheek. He wiped it away angrily.

"Mike."

Mike turned slowly back to Ryan and his anger vanished seeing him trying to sit up in bed and stretching a hand toward him. He was weak and in pain, and Mike was fighting with the man. What a shitty moment he chose to do that. "Jesus I'm sorry!"

Mike went to the bed and threw himself into Ryan's arms. The man grunted a little but held Mike fast when he tried to get away. Ryan hugged Mike with all the strength he had at the moment and started to stroke the blond hair. Mike laid his head on Ryan's shoulder and wept.

"'m sorry!" Mike whispered.

"Shhh it's okay. It's okay, baby."

Mike grabbed handfuls of hospital clothes and laid there for awhile. Then he lifted his head to look at Ryan with eyes red from crying. Ryan's eyes were shining as well.

"Are you okay? When can you go home?"

"I'm fine, don't worry. I don't know when I can leave. Hopefully soon."

"Yeah."

Mike smiled slightly and approached to kiss Ryan gently on the mouth, then both cheeks, forehead and ending on his neck. When Mike lifted his head and looked at Ryan the man was smiling and held out a hand to mess his hair.

"Fucking puppy."

Mike smiled back and laid his head on Ryan's shoulder again. At least _they_ would be fine.


End file.
